Vol. 21(1), pp.

1-10, January-June 2022

DOI: 10.5897/JNSP2021.0013
Article Number: 5366FD269012
ISSN 0331-3735 Journal of the Nigeria Society
Copyright ©2022
Author(s) retain the copyright of this article
of Physiotherapy
http://www.academicjournals.org/JNSP Official publication of the Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy

Full Length Research Paper

Point prevalence and risk factors for work-related

musculoskeletal disorders among academic staff in a
Nigerian University
Margaret Bukola Fatudimu, Afolakemi Odekunle and Talhatu Kolapo Hamzat*
Department of Physiotherapy, College of Medicine (UCH), University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
Received 13 September, 2021; Accepted 7 April, 2022

Work-Related Musculo-Skeletal Disorder (WRMSD) is a common complaint among the working

population. In spite of the keen interest of Nigerian researchers in this subject, there is a dearth of
information concerning university academic staff. Yet, this group of workers are critical to high-level
manpower development. The aim of this study is to assess the risk factors and determine the point
prevalence of WRMSD among academic staff of Nigeria premier University Ibadan. Two hundred and
two (202) academic staff from all faculties in the university participated in this cross-sectional study.
The methodology involved a two-part process namely: An observational assessment of each academic
staff by one of the researchers; and completion of a self-administered questionnaire. The Standard
Nordic Questionnaire and the Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA) were used to assess
musculoskeletal disorders and the ergonomic environment, respectively. Descriptive statistics of
frequency percentage, mean and standard deviation were used to summarise the data. Inferential
statistics of chi-square was also used at p<0.05. Participants were aged 49.3± 11.21 years. Results
showed a WRMSDs prevalence of 86.6 and 64% reported that the musculoskeletal disorders or pain
interfered with their work. The risk factors identified were inappropriate chairs and desk height;
reaching for items in the workplace; prolonged sitting time and poor ergonomic awareness. The most
common reported WRMSDs were those of upper back (78.7%); hip/buttocks (78.2%); knees (70.3%); and
low back (41.6%). Based on the assessment of academic staff’s office work environment, 66.3% of them
were adjudged to be at a high risk of developing WRMSDs. The importance of appropriate office
furniture and an improved work environment for academic staff were highlighted.

Key words: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders, university academic staff, University of Ibadan,
prevalence.

INTRODUCTION

Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) are a spectrum of reduces the affected person’s ability to work or participate
clinical presentations that typically include pain, in social roles and which impacts on mental well-being
limitations in mobility, dexterity and functional ability that (WHO, 2018 Factors that is reportedly associated

*Corresponding author. E-mail: tkhamzat@com.ui.edu.ng Tel: 2347031096849.

Author(s) agree that this article remain permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
License 4.0 International License
2 J. Nig. Soc. Physiother.
with MSDs include individual characteristics, such as
age, sex, occupational risk factors and non-work-related
exposures (Magnago et al., 2007). Activities or tasks
such as handling loads, repetitive movements or
vibrations are among the well-established workplace risk
factors for the occurrence of MSDs (Bernal et al., 2015).
Forceful exertions, repetitive movements, awkward
and/or sustained postures such as prolonged sitting and
standing have also documented (Sirajudeen et al., 2018).
The MSD that is job- or occupation-related is described
as Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders or WRMSDs.
Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMSDs)
therefore refer to a wide range of inflammatory and
degenerative disorders which originate from or are
exacerbated largely by the performance of work or
related work settings (Kaka et al., 2016). The WRMSDs
reportedly result in a significant economic burden in
terms of lost wages, treatment and compensation globally
(Sirajudeen et al., 2018). They also exert considerable
impact on the quality of life of workers apart from
increasing sickness absenteeism, early retirement and
poor productivity at work (Devare, 2019).
Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) are regarded as one
of the most common and important occupational health
problems in the teaching profession, and according to
Erick and Smith (2014) had only recently been receiving
the deserved attention. A cursory observation revealed
that University academic staff is also exposed to risk
factors such as high workload, short pauses for rest,
intensive working pace, and high levels of stress. These,
combined with job descriptions which entail prolonged
sitting, prolonged standing, use of inappropriate furniture,
awkward postures that may be adopted when writing on
the board, helping students with their work, reading,
marking students’ work or preparing lessons. As noted by
Ogunboyo et al. (2019), the works of lecturers are not
only limited to classwork. It involves body movements
such as frequent bending, twisting, sudden movement,
and working in bent-over postures. These postures are
assumed while reading, preparing notes or during
fieldwork, thus making them more vulnerable to WMSDs
(Ogunboyo et al., 2019).
An Irish study identified musculoskeletal problems as
one of the leading causes of ill health cause-specific
retirement among lecturers (Beyen et al., 2013). Lima
and Silva (2014) studied WRMSDs among university
professors in Brazil and reported a prevalence rate of
85.7% in their studied sample. Most of the lecturers
sampled in the study by Sumaila et al. (2016) had
adequate knowledge of risk factors associated with the
development of their lecturing job-related musculoskeletal
disorders, yet most had poor knowledge about
appropriate prevention strategies. The scope of lecturing
job in a university tends to be similar and this typically
entails research, teaching and services. However, the
conditions of working may not be the same for all
countries and or societies. There was a paucity of such
information about university lecturers in Nigeria, hence
this study. The objective of this study was to determine
the point prevalence of WRMSDs and explore the
distribution of WRMSDs by region of the body affected,
and pattern by academic cadre among academic staff of
the University of Ibadan. The relationship between the
workstation configuration and WRMDs among the
participants was also explored.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS
Two hundred and two (202) consenting academic staff recruited
using a proportionate stratified sampling technique from all the 16
Faculties at the University of Ibadan participated in this cross-
sectional study. The University of Ibadan consists of 16 Faculties
and 28 Centres with 1409 academic staff. Participants were
recruited for this study based on the overall percentage of
academic staff in each Faculty/Centres of the University of Ibadan.
The total number of participants was determined using the formula
(Yamane, 1967):
n=
Where, n= sample size; N= total number of academic staff in
University of Ibadan, 1409; e= error margin, 0.05
n=
n= 311.55 = 312.
The number of academic staff in each faculty and centre was
obtained. A proportionate stratified sampling was used to determine
the number of participants recruited from each Faculty and Centre.
For example, the Faculty of Arts has 113 academic staff; the
number of participants that was selected from the Faculty of Arts
was 34.3 = 35 participants. Using the following formula;
Data required from each participant was collected on the same day.
In addition, data collection spanned a period of two months
(November and December 2019) for all participants. The
participants were eligible to participate if they have been full-time
lecturers at the university for at least four consecutive years
preceding this study. Eligibility criteria included no history of any
systematic disorder or other musculoskeletal injuries such as
unhealed/recent fracture, soft tissue injuries due to accidents in any
of the regions of the body at the point of data collection.
A data gathering form was used to obtain information on the
demographic data, pain-related questions, questions on the work
environment of the participants, perceived level of work and pain.
The Standard Nordic Questionnaire considered being a valid and
reliable tool in a wide range of occupational groups was used to
investigate areas of musculoskeletal problems. This instrument was
designed by Kuorinka and his team in 1987 (Kuorinka et al., 1987).
It consists of a human body diagram showing clearly marked nine
anatomical regions (neck, shoulder, elbow, hand/wrist, upper back,
lower back, hip/thigh, knee, and ankle/foot). Participants were
asked whether they currently have troubles in the indicated areas
which affect their normal activity (Crawford, 2007). Good
psychometric properties have been reported for the NMQ (Kuorinka
et al., 1987; Akinpelu et al., 2011; Hamzat et al., 2014; Ojo et al.,
2014).
 Fatudimu et al. 3

Table 1. Demographic characteristics of the participants (N = 202).

Variable Frequency (n) Percentage (%)

Female 87 43
Gender
Male 115 57

30-39 9 4.5
40-49 94 46.5
Age group
50-59 72 35.6
60-69 27 13.4

Clinical Sciences 19 9.4

Dentistry 8 4.0
Public Health 6 3.0
Basic Medical Sciences 16 7.9
Sciences 26 12.9
Social sciences 15 7.4
Arts 17 8.4
Faculties
Agriculture 23 11.4
Education 22 10.9
Law 5 2.5
Pharmacy 10 5.0
Technology 14 6.9
Vet medicine 14 6.9
Research institute 7 3.5

Assistant Lecturer 3 1.5

Lecturer II 36 17.8
Lecturer I 47 23.3
Academic rank
Senior Lecturer 67 33.2
Reader 24 11.9
Professor 25 12.4

Left 6 3.0
Dominant hand
Right 196 97

Yes 133 65.8

Exercise
No 69 34.2

The physical assessment of participants work station was carried
out using the Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA) with the
participants asked to assume their typical work sitting positions in
their offices while completing the data gathering form and the
standard Nordic questionnaire. Rapid Office Strain Assessment
(ROSA) was developed by Sonne et al. (2012). It is a picture-
based posture checklist designed to quantify exposure to risk
factors of office workers in an office work environment. The risk
factors are diagrammed and coded as increasing scores from 1 to
3. ROSA final scores ranged in magnitude from 1 to 10, with each
successive score representing an increased presence of risk
factors. A score of 5 indicates an increased risk of discomfort for
workstations with final scores equal to or above that score. Several
studies have reported good psychometric properties of the ROSA
(Sonne et al., 2012; Andrews, 2011; Ferasati and Jalilian, 2014;
Valdes et al., 2018).
The protocol for this study was approved by the University of
Ibadan/ University College Hospital (UI/UCH) Joint Ethics
Committee was obtained.
Statistical analyses
Data obtained were coded and analysed using SPSS version 23.
Descriptive statistics of range, mean, standard deviation and
frequency percentages were calculated. Chi-square test of
association was used to test the association between the risk
factors and prevalence of the WRMDs. Chi-square test of difference
was also used to test for the difference in the prevalence of
WRMSDs across various discipline areas among the academic staff
of the University of Ibadan. The level of significance was set at 0.05.
RESULTS
Participants were aged 30-69 (49.3± 11.21) years. The
majority (46.5%) of them were in the 40-49 years age
range. Classification based on academic rank revealed
that 23.3% were lecturer I; 33.2% were senior lecturers
and 12.4% were professors (Table 1). Distribution based
4 J. Nig. Soc. Physiother.

Table 2. Work-related characteristics of participants.

Variable Frequency (n) Percentage

Never 0 0
Rarely 26 12.9
Breaks to rest at work
Sometimes 102 51.3
Often 71 35.7

<2 2 1
2-4 50 25.1
Hours spent at desk
5-7 77 38.7
>7 70 35.2

<5 times 111 55

Move away from desk 6-11 times 73 36.1
>11 times 15 7.4

Yes 75 37.1
Ergonomic awareness
No 127 62.9

Injury leading to musculoskeletal pain Yes 9 4.5

or discomfort No 193 95.5

Road traffic accident 0 0.0

Cause of injury Fall 1 0.4
Other 8 4.0

on faculty is also shown in Table 1. Fifty-seven (57%) of
the participants were males and 97% were right-handed
compared to 2.7 who were left handed and the rest
ambidextrous. Information obtained as regards the
academic staff’s work-related characteristics is presented
in Table 2. About one third (35.2%) spend more than 7
hours at their desks in a day with about one third (37.7%)
reported often taking breaks to rest or stretch at work.
Among the respondents, 37.1% reported to have had or
are aware of some forms of ergonomic training or
information.
Our findings showed that 27(13.4%) had no
musculoskeletal pain in any body part and 175 (86.6%)
were experiencing musculoskeletal pain. The majority of
the 86.6% respondents who were experiencing
musculoskeletal pain had the neck region accounting for
41.1% of the complaints (Table 3). Table 4 presents the
workstation configuration and risk assessment profile of
participants where 134 (66.3%) of the respondents
scored above 5, indicating a high risk of developing work-
related musculoskeletal disorders.
The results of findings with respect to the 175 (86.6%)
who had musculoskeletal complaints are presented in
Tables 5, 6a, 6b and 6c. Table 5 showed the pattern of
parts of the body affected, academic rank and faculty.
There was no significant association between WRMSDs
and inappropriate workstation configuration (p =0.208)
and academic rank (p =0.147) as shown in Tables 6a and
6b respectively. There was however a significant
association between the age of participants and WRMSDs
(p = 0.02) as shown in Table 6c. No significant difference
was obtained in the comparison of prevalence of WRMDs
across different faculties (p =0.68) as presented Table
6d.
DISCUSSION
Participants in this study were university lecturers at
different cadres of their careers. Results obtained from
the analysed data revealed that the majority of the
studied staff had work-related musculoskeletal disorders
–WRMSDs, which followed a pattern along age, cadre,
and their work station design. The WRMSDs pattern
obtained with respect to age and location of the pain
showed those between the ages of 40 and 49 years
recording the highest cases of neck pain, while the
highest incidence of shoulder or upper arm pain, hip or
buttock pain and ankle or feet pain was recorded by
those in the age range 50 to 59 years. This finding is
similar to that reported by Brulin et al. (1998) and Seibt et
al. (2005). Pain in the neck and shoulders could be as a
result of wrong postures like sustained neck flexion while
reading, writing on the tables or boards and marking of
papers for many hours. Shoulder pain has been
observed to be a work-related problem among educators
worldwide and with a prevalence of 7.8% reported in
Estonia by Pihl et al. (2002) and 74.4% in China by
 Fatudimu et al. 5

Table 3. Current pain distribution in different body parts.

Body part Frequency (n) Percentage

No pain at all 27 13.4
No pain 175 86.6
Whole body/neck
No pain 119 58.9
Have pain 83 41.1

No pain 125 61.9

Left shoulder pain 9 4.5
Shoulder/upper arm
Right shoulder pain 29 14.4
Pain at both shoulders 39 19.3

No pain 43 21.3
Upper back
Have pain 159 78.7

No pain 118 58.4

Low back
Have pain 84 41.6

No pain 185 91.6

Left forearm pain 1 0.5
Fore arm
Right forearm pain 15 6.9
Pain at both forearms 1 0.5

No pain 167 82.7

Left wrist pain 8 4.0
Wrists/hands
Right wrist pain 19 9.4
Pain at both wrists/hands 8 4.0

No pain 44 21.8
Hip/buttocks
Have pain 158 78.2

No pain 60 29.7
Knees
Have pain 142 70.3

No pain 168 83.2

Ankles/feet
Have pain 34 16.8

Not at all 63 36
Interference with work Slightly interferes 96 54.9
Substantially interferes 16 9.1

Chong and Chan (2010).
More cases of pain at different joints were observed
among the older individuals in this study. Findings from
age and low back pain (Hoy et al., 2014). Low back pain
reportedly caused more global disability than any other
condition, especially in the ageing population and was
said to be the leading cause of activity limitations and
absence from work globally (Hoy et al., 2014). While this
was outside the scope of the study, it is plausible to
assume that the experience of the pain of WRMSDs
could have resulted in the loss of man-hour or missed
days of work of the lecturers surveyed.
Data from this study also revealed that more females
suffer from WRMSDs in different body parts, that is; neck
pain (48.2%), shoulder or upper arm pain (51.9%), upper
back pain (51.2%), hips or buttocks pain (52.3%) and
ankle or feet pain (55.9%) compared to men. A number of
studies had noted women to be at higher risk of
WRMSDs than men (Ekman et al., 2000; Wahlstrom,
2005; Widanarko, 2011). In their study of musculoskeletal
symptoms in the Swedish workforce who used computers
and a desktop mouse, Ekman et al. (2000) found that the
prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was far greater
in women than men for all occupation groups. Factors
that put women at risk of MSDs according to the authors
included household work and childcare (Ekman et al.,
2000; Wahlstrom, 2005). Anthropometric differences may
also cause women to work in more extreme postures or
use higher relative muscle forces than men, which could
result in greater mechanical stress (Titoranonda et al.,
1999), and resultant musculoskeletal disorders. This may
also be applicable to the women surveyed in the present
6 J. Nig. Soc. Physiother.

Table 4. Workstation configuration and risk factor assessment of participants.

Workstation configuration Frequency (n) Percentage

Non-adjustable 148 73.3
Chair height/depth
Adjustable 54 26.7

Unavailable 0 0
Backrest/.Lumbar support Available 100 100.0
Unavailable 93 46.0

Available 109 54.0

Armrests Hard/damaged surface 115 56.9
Appropriate 87 43.1

Too high/too low 99 49.0

Desk height
Appropriate 103 51.0

Unavailable 180 89.1

Document holder
Available 22 10.9

Above 5 133 66.0

Score on ROSA
Below 5 67 34.0

Table 5. Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders by academic rank and faculty of the respondents.

Variable N% S/UA% UB% LB% FA% W/H% H/B% K% A/F%

By academic rank (N=175)
Assistant Lecturer 0 0 4.7 3.6 0 0 6.8 3.3 0
Lecturer 1 16.9 18.2 20.9 21.4 41.2 40 20.5 20.0 11.8
Lecturer 2 26.5 16.9 32.6 23.8 11.8 8.6 11.4 13.3 11.8
Senior Lecturer 31.3 45.5 37.2 27.4 35.3 28.6 38.6 28.3 35.3
Reader 15.7 16.9 4.7 11.9 5.9 5.7 18.2 6.7 23.5
Professor 9.6 2.6 0 11.9 5.9 17.1 4.5 28.3 17.6

By Faculty (N=175)
Clinical sciences 3.6 5.2 7.0 9.5 5.9 5.7 9.1 15.0 5.9
Dentistry 7.2 5.2 2.3 3.6 11.8 2.9 2.3 1.7 5.9
Public Health 3.6 2.6 2.3 2.4 5.9 5.7 0 0 5.9
Basic Medical Sciences 7.2 11.7 14.0 6.0 5.9 8.6 13.6 6.7 5.9
Sciences 14.5 15.6 11.6 11.9 0 11.4 13.6 15.0 23.5
Social sciences 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.1 11.8 14.3 2.3 1.7 8.8
Arts 6.0 3.9 7.0 9.5 17.6 11.4 13.6 10.0 2.9
Agriculture 14.5 13.0 14.0 13.1 17.6 17.1 13.6 11.7 11.8
Education 13.3 7.8 9.3 13.1 11.8 8.6 6.8 13.3 17.6
Law 4.8 3.9 4.7 4.8 0 0 4.5 1.7 0
Pharmacy 4.8 5.2 2.3 2.4 0 5.7 4.5 5.0 2.9
Technology 3.6 6.5 7.0 7.1 0 0 9.1 11.7 2.9
Veterinary Medicine 9.6 9.1 4.7 8.3 11.8 8.6 4.5 3.3 5.9
Research institutes 1.2 3.9 7.0 1.2 0 0 2.3 3.3 0
N = Neck; S/UA=Shoulders/ Upper Arm; UB= Upper back; LB =Lower back; FA=Fore arm; W/H= Wrists/ Hands; H/B=Hips/ Buttocks; K = Knees; A/F
=Ankles/ Feet.

study. With respect to job cadres, our findings showed Lecturer cadre for most body part with the exception of
that WRMSDs was mostly reported by those at the Senior the forearm pain where those of Lecturer cadre had the
 Fatudimu et al. 7

Table 6a. Association between inappropriate workstation configuration and work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Workstation configuration Yes (n) % No (n) % Total (n) % X2 p-value

Chair height/depth 129 87.2 19 12.8 148 100.0
Backrest 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.00
Lumbar support 84 90.3 9 9.7 93 100.0
Arm rest 101 87.8 14 12.2 115 100.0 7.17 0.20
Desk height 90 90.9 9 9.1 99 100.0
Document holder 156 86.7 24 13.3 180 100.0
*The Chi-square statistic is significant at the 0.05 level. “Yes” and “ No” refers to the presence or absence of work-related
musculoskeletal disorders.

Table 6b. Association between academic rank and work related musculoskeletal disorders (N=175).

Academic rank Yes (n) % No (n) % Total (n) % X2 p-value

Assistant lecturer 3 100.0 0 0.00 3 100.0
Lecturer 1 38 80.9 9 19.1 47 100.0
Lecturer 2 36 100.0 0 0.00 36 100.0
Senior lecturer 56 83.6 11 16.4 67 100.0 8.17 0.14
Reader 20 83.3 4 16.7 24 100.0
Professor 22 88.0 3 12.0 25 100.0
“Yes” and “No” refers to the presence or absence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Table 6c. Association between age of participants and work related musculoskeletal disorders (N=175).

Age group Yes (n) % No (n) % Total (n) % X2 p-value

30-39 7 77.8 2 22.2 9 100.0
40-49 75 79.8 19 20.2 94 100.0
9.15 0.02*
50-59 67 93.1 5 6.9 72 100.0
60-69 26 96.3 1 3.7 27 100.0
*The Chi-square statistic is significant at the 0.05 level. “Yes” and “ No” refers to the presence or absence of work-related
musculoskeletal disorders.

Table 6d. Comparison of prevalence of work related musculoskeletal disorders across different faculties using the chi-
square test of difference.

Faculty Yes (n) % No (n) % Total (n) % X2 p-value

Clinical sciences 17 89.5 2 10.5 19 100.0
Dentistry 6 75.0 2 25.0 8 100.0
Public Health 5 83.3 1 16.7 6 100.0
Basic Medical Sciences 14 87.5 2 12.5 16 100.0
Sciences 22 84.6 4 15.4 26 100.0
Social Sciences 10 66.7 5 33.3 15 100.0
Arts 15 88.2 2 11.8 17 100.0
10.13 0.68
Agriculture 22 95.7 1 4.3 23 100.0
Education 19 86.4 3 13.6 22 100.0
Law 5 0 0 0.00 5 100.0
Pharmacy 8 80.0 2 20.0 10 100.0
Technology 13 92.9 1 7.1 14 100.0
Veterinary medicine 13 92.9 1 7.1 14 100.0
Research institutes 6 85.7 1 14.3 7 100.0
*The Chi-square statistic. “Yes” and “ No” refers to the presence or absence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
8 J. Nig. Soc. Physiother.
highest prevalence. This high prevalence of WRMSDs
among senior lecturers could be due to higher workload
and responsibilities as job description demands
increasing age, reduced joint flexibility, reduced strength,
reduced cardiovascular function and less elastic tissue
which also occur with increasing age. Older adults tend to
compensate for these effects of ageing changes
behaviourally.
The findings of the study showed that nearly all (97%)
the academic staff is right-handed. The predominance of
right-handedness may account for the observed trend of
higher presence of right shoulder/upper arm, forearm,
and wrists/hands pain when compared to the left. This
study also revealed that about one-third of academic staff
did not exercise regularly. This could be due to the work
demand associated with the occupation. Numerous
studies revealed that exercise has a positive impact on
the body, reducing the prevalence of MSDs (Handschin
and Spielgman, 2008; Owen et al., 2010; Beinart et al.,
2013; O’Connor et al., 2015).
Compared to some other professionals that had been
studied including Nigerians, a much higher prevalence of
WRMSDs (86.6%) was obtained among the academic
staff in this present study. This may be explained by
improper postures assumed such as prolonged sitting or
bending of neck to prepare lecture notes, reading,
marking of papers, writing on tables or boards for many
hours. The prevalence rate obtained is higher than that
obtained among nurses in eastern Nigeria (Tinubu et al.,
2010); construction workers in Uyo, Nigeria (Ekpenyong
and Inyang, 2014); and office workers in Kenya
(Mukandoli, 2004). The prevalence recorded in this study
is however lower than the prevalence rate of 91.3%
among physiotherapists in Nigeria (Adegoke et al., 2008).
The majority of the academic staff spend more than 5 h
daily at their workstation. It was also observed that more
than half get up from their desks less than five times per
day. This practice could be because of the heavy
academic workload and perceived need to concentrate
on their job-related activities. This work-related sedentary
lifestyle is known to impact negatively on human health.
Several studies had established the importance of
breaking the monotony of work practice by observing
pauses at intervals. Accelerometer measurement studies
conducted by Owen et al. (2010) found that breaks in
sedentary time had beneficial associations with metabolic
biomarkers. These breaks included transitions from
seated positions to standing or transitions from standing
to walking. Galinsky et al. (2007) reported that the
traditional two fifteen minutes rest breaks and thirty-
minute lunch break is insufficient to minimize discomfort
in a workday. They recommended that office workers
should be required to move away from the workstation
every twenty to thirty minutes (Galinsky et al., 2007).
Regular rest periods are known to be effective in
reducing the prevalence of MSDs among computer users
especially for the neck and shoulder regions (Goodman
et al, 2012). A study by Davis and Kotowski (2014)
revealed that computerised reminders to take breaks at
thirty-minute intervals decreased discomfort in the
shoulders, upper back and lower back. The authors noted
that although many of these breaks were less than sixty
seconds, they proved effective in reducing the
discomforts of MSDs (Davis and Kotowski, 2014).
In terms of workstation design, evaluation carried out in
this study showed that about three-quarters of academic
staff use office chairs that are non-adjustable, all
academic staff use chairs with backrests but 46% of
these chairs do not have lumbar support. This could be
linked to the prevalence (41.6%) of low back pain among
the academic staff. Prolonged sitting is a risk factor for
low back pain due to the prolonged and monotonous
mechanical load which may result in increased intradiscal
pressure, static loading of joint and muscle tissue leading
to pain and discomfort (Pope et al., 2002).
Recommendations made to avert the resultant back pain
includes that the chair should allow for movement and
adjustability through adjustability of the seat pan and
backrest (Queensland Government, 2012). According to
CSA International, an adjustable office chair allows for
the user to adopt postural changes and avoid static
postures that can be harmful and which can limit blood
flow to the muscles leading to muscle fatigue and pain
(CSA International, 2000). Similarly, approximately half of
the academic staff use office desks that are either too low
or too high for their height. This could have contributed to
the neck pain (41.1%), shoulder or upper arm (38.1%)
and upper back (78.7%) pain experienced by the
academic staff. Biomechanically, if the desk height is too
low, the user will flex the back to compensate for the
inadequate height of the desk. This result in shift in the
cervical sagittal alignment and therefore, the muscles
supporting the head are stressed and strained (Tayyari
and Smith, 1997). The elbow angle is further increased
causing the forearms to be unsupported and leading to
stress and strain of the musculature of the upper
extremity (Tayyari and Smith, 1997). In addition, if the
keyboard height is too high, the user compensates by
tensing or shrugging the shoulders, which results in
shortening of the musculature (Peek, 2005). The desk
height would ultimately affect the forearm support and
consequently the wrist and hand positioning, depending
on how the worker compensates for the unnatural
position. It was also observed that more than half of
these chairs have hard or damaged armrests. Using a
chair with an improper armrest creates pressure points
on the arms and could be responsible for the forearm
(7.1%) and wrists/hands (17.4%) pain experience
reported by the staff. The majority of the workstations and
desks did not have document holders, with 89.1% of
academic staff having their documents and stationery
situated far away from easy reach. This could also be
responsible for the shoulder/upper arm pain and low back
pain as the staff strains to reach objects far away from
the body.
There was no significant difference in the prevalence of

WRMSDs across various faculties. This could suggest
that the work descriptions of academic staff are similar
across faculties and that they are similarly exposed to the
risk factors for WRMDS. The finding from this study also
revealed that 62.9% of academic staff had no ergonomic
awareness. This could be the reason for the high
prevalence (86.6%) of WRMSDs among the academic
staff. Montreuil et al (2006) stated that it is essential for
staff members in a workspace to have increased
awareness of the effects their office environment and
workstation have on their health. The findings of our
study are in concordance with a study carried out among
office workers at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia where
the researchers reported a low level of office ergonomics
awareness and high prevalence rates of WRMSDs in the
shoulder (51.6%), neck (48.2%) and, back (42.2%). The
Malaysian study and other studies also concluded that
office ergonomic training improved workstation habits and
reduced WRMSDs among office workers (Robertson et
al., 2008, 2009; Noroozi et al., 2015).
More than half of the surveyed staff who had
WRMSDs in this study reported a slight interference with
work; about one-tenth reported substantial interference
and approximately one-third reported that the pain or
discomfort did not interfere with their work. Work
interference by pain or discomfort could lead to poor
productivity at work (Maguire and O'Connell, 2007).
Using a standardised instrument, the academic staff’s
exposure to risk factors in their office work environment
was also quantified in this study. About one-third of the
academic staff were at low risk of developing WRMSDs
while two-thirds had a high risk of developing WRMSDs.
This corroborates previous research studies carried out
using the ROSA of office workers in Iran (Ferasati and
Jalilian, 2014; Nasiri et al., 2015).
Conclusion
This study concluded that there is a high prevalence of
work-related musculoskeletal disorders among academic
staff of the University of Ibadan where the majority have
inappropriate workstation configurations with poor
ergonomic designs and no ergonomic awareness. The
importance of educating academic staff about ergonomic
principles and the effects of poor ergonomic designs on
their health, including periodic examinations of work
conditions is recommended. The academic staff would
also benefit from appropriate office furniture and
equipment that will reduce their vulnerability to work-
related musculoskeletal disorders. Inability to enlist the
number of academic staff in the calculated sample size is
an important limitation in this study.
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS
The authors have not declared any conflict of interests.
Fatudimu et al. 9
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